Truth Magazine

By Lewis Willis

Educators have subjected the youth of America to a ghastly experiment. About 1960, 5.3 percent of the births in this country were illegitimate. Armed with this statistic, sociologists, doctors and educators sought to address the problem. The “door of opportunity” which opened to them was the introduction into the curriculum of the public schools of courses in “Sex Education.” This development was fought courageously by parents and religious leaders, but their opposition was ignored. Off the schools went to solve this great problem of illegitimacy.

The rationale used to defend the practice of teaching “Sex Education” was that parents are not teaching their children “the facts of life.” Chrissy France, of Planned Parenthood of Akron, recently said, “Parents often hesitate to talk to their kids because they feel that will encourage them to have sex” (Akron Beacon Journal, 10-15-87). Surveys show that only 10 to 20 percent of parents talk with their children about sex. “The facts of life” are picked up, they reasoned, from friends in the street, television, books and magazines, rather than from parents. Their solution was to begin sex training in the schools. According to the article referred to, in Akron, all students get their first dose of sex education in the fifth grade. And, guess what, the parents were right after all. More exposure to sex has encouraged children to have sex. In fact, the article states that “national studies have shown that about 50 percent of high school students are sexually active. I jus is true in spite of the scare of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

We now have had about 25 years in which to gather data on this experiment. It is evident that it has failed miserably! The figures which are now available should send shock waves through every American’s mind. An Associated Press article out of New York, written by George W. Cornell, reports the latest figures on what sex education has done for us (Akron Beacon Journal, 10-10-87). In 1940, 3.5 percent of births were to unwed women. In 1960, the proportion of such births was only 5.3 percent. We then began to see the influence of sex education and the attendant moral decline in our nation. By 1980, unwed births had climbed to 18.4 percent of the total. By 1985, which is the latest count available, 22 percent of the total births in the U.S. were to unwed mothers. “The unwed births, coupled with the current 1.5 million abortions annually, mostly for the unmarried, raises the porportion of unwed pregnancies to about half of the total” of births in the U.S. Jesus said, ” . . . by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). Nationally, we are drowning in the ungodly fruits of our educators’ experiment! One wonders if it is possible to raise a loud enough opposition to the practice to enable us to go back to “the good ole days” of the 40s and 50s.

In case you are wondering what the response of “organized religion” has been to this tragedy, I am afraid I have bad news to share with you. Generally speaking, the response of religion, according to Mr. Cornell, is to attempt to take the “stigma” out of this sad situation. The reasoning given is that “there are now so many such children” that we need to use a form of reference to the situation that removes the embarrassment that formerly was associated with this sin. In the Scriptures, and in early literature, “bastards” was the term used to refer to children born out of wedlock (Heb. 12:8). However, “itching ears” sought teachers who would tone down their “rehetoric,” even if it resulted in being “turned bad as it used to unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). These children began to be referred to as “illegitimate.” This still was not good enough. The Associated Press informs us that the “church community” now refers to the child a “child of a single parent.” Mother and child are known as a “singleparent family.” As the statistics indicate, man’s modified terminology has come as illegitimate births have soared. Man’s nice, sweet language has not only gotten better than the Lord’s, it has left the impression with many that fornication is not as be considered.

I was just thinkin, if we keep going the direction we are going as a nation, within a few generations we will convince ourselves that we have thought and taught sin out of existence. We, in the Lord’s church, must not get too smug about this situation. Across the nation there are few churches that have not had one or more young Christian boys and girls fall victim to the temptation to commit fornication. For the young mother and her child, there is no adequate solution to the problem. Brethren, we must continue and intensify our teaching and preaching on the sin of fornication, filling the hearts of our youth with the fear of God while warning that those who “do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21). Forgiveness is possible, but it does not remove the scars and consequences that fornication brings. Parents have every right to expect the church to help them fight the battle against fornication! Let us not disappoint them.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 4, p. 102
February 18, 1988

By Aude McKee

You get a telephone call – one of the members of the church is seriously ill. Perhaps the first thing that comes to your mind is, “What would we do without him/her?” And then you begin to think about all those dedicated and faithful Christians who are not ill. Which of those would you be willing to give up?

My mother was born in 1882 and back in her school days the theory was widely held that a good education put stress on building character. This meant that the school books were filled with stories and poems designed to make boys and girls better, Up almost to the day of her death (at age 95), she often would recite poems or tell stories that she had learned in school more than eighty years before. One of the stories that always impressed me was the one about a mother of eight or ten children who lost her husband. She lacked the Ability to feed and clothe that many children adequately, and since there were people in the community who were willing to take some of the children, she had to decide which ones to give up. She began with John, the oldest, but how could she do without him? He cut the wood and mowed the yard. Then there was Sally, the next to oldest. But she couldn’t spare Sally – Sally was the best dishwasher to be found anywhere. As she labored over her decision she found a good reason why she couldn’t part with any of the boys and girls until she finally came to little Billy. He was only two and about as mean as a two-year-old could get. She thought about Billy for a long time and then she finally said, “I can’t let Billy go. Nobody but a mother could love Billy.”

I’m not sure how well that story fits what we are trying to say in this article, but every member of the body is necessary to its proper functioning. All of us are different. We have different personalities and widely varying capabilities but that doesn’t make any of us less necessary to the health of the local church. Occasionally you may come across someone who has an inflated estimate of his/her importance to the church, but more often it is the other way round. Too many times a faithful child of God feels unimportant, unnecessary, in the way. Perhaps he/she can’t do what was possible in the past because of age or health problems, but as the old song says, “There is room in the kingdom of God for you my brother, for the small things that you can do. Just a small kindly deed that may cheer another, is the work God has planned for you. Just a cup of cold water in His name given, may the hope in some heart renew. Do not wait to be told nor by sorrow driven, to the work God has planned for you.” Then the chorus ends with the words, “There is work that we all can do. “

The Holy Spirit said it so beautifully in 1 Corinthians 12: “The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble are necessary” (vv. 21-22).

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 4, p. 101
February 18, 1988

By Hoyt H. Houchen

Question: Is it scriptural for a church to set aside part of its treasury for investments such as mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc.?

Reply: The matter of a church having a bank account, and whether or not the account draws interest, is incidental. This has been discussed.

The question as to whether or not it is scriptural for the church to seek out investments that will make money for the church is an entirely different matter. When a church undertakes to invest in real estate, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc. to increase the treasury, it assumes a work which God has not authorized. The primary work of the church is to preach the gospel that souls will be saved.

The New Testament teaches that the local church is to preach the gospel (1 Tim. 3:14, 15), provide for the benevolent needs of the saints for whom it is responsible (Rom. 15:25,26; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8,9, etc.) and to edify the saints by Bible teaching. Money to do this threefold work is to be raised by the individual members contributing their money upon the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 9:7). This is God’s plan for raising the necessary funds for the church to do its work. The church is not to raise its money by promotional schemes such as pie suppers and quilt sales. Neither is the church to raise its money by seeking out investments. These do not fit into the Lord’s plan.

The church is not in the entertainment business; nor does God authorize his church to provide recreational facilities such as ping pong tables, basketball and volleyball courts, youth camps, etc. These things do not constitute the work of the church. Neither does seeking out investments to enlarge its treasury constitute the work of the church.

Investments such as those named above may be made by individuals, but not by the Lord’s church. Again, it is a matter of recognizing the difference between what the individual may scripturally do and what the church may scripturally do (how it may spend its money). If this distinction is made and properly applied, confusion about the church and its work will be removed.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 4, p. 101
February 18, 1988

By Irven Lee

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15). The Bible is a good book that points out many things that are good for man and pleasing to God. We should stop to consider all his advice and commands.

Gratitude expressed is obviously a good and pleasant thing. God loved the world and gave his Son that we might be saved. He gave us his word also. By all means, we should be thankful for these great gifts. The earth is the Lord’s, and from it we get food, fiber, wood, minerals, and fuel. Take time to express sincere thanks for the good earth. Should we not also consider the beautiful colors of the different seasons and the songs of the birds? They are not here by accident. Be ye thankful!

I have lived in the USA all of my life and during a time of amazing changes. The freedom to move about and to plan our own lives is a wonderful reason to be glad and to count our blessings that we are Americans. There are many dangers to our spiritual values, and we should have proper concern for ourselves and for our descendants, but we need not overlook the good. I am glad to have lived in America. The strife ridden world does not offer too many places where we might consider living.

My family includes my wife who has been a wonderful help to me. My two daughters and their husbands are faithful and active Christians, and their love is precious to me. My four grandchildren are young adults whose faith is strong in this skeptical world. My only grandson-in-law is the grandson of two whom I baptized in 1940. He is active in church work. Should I not give God thanks for them? The Bible influence is the power that has made their lives beautiful. Are you thankful enough for your family?

The family of God or the church is made up of excellent people, and in preaching in many places I have come to know this to be a fact. There are imperfections within the assemblies. The members are human and are tempted by the world. Let us face every sin among us with boldness, love, patience, and determination to make things better. As we help others improve, let each of us improve. One of the things that has contributed so much happiness to my life is the close association with my brethren. I have faced problems and heartaches in preaching, but there has been much satisfaction in association with the devout saints.

“I praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psa. 139:14). You and I should know right well that the human body is wonderful. The digestive system, the nervous system, and the respiratory system to do their work each day. Each is wonderful beyond words. There are many glands to regulate blood chemistry and many other essential things. Our body temperature remains the same when we are well. Should we not all give thanks? We may take good health for granted until we lose it. Take some time now to give thanks and count your blessings.

We all realize that some do not have such health. We should “visit the sick.” This means more than that we go and sit with them and talk. We are to bear one another’s burdens and help as we can. With age we become weak and have many limitations. Old age is the time in life to look back over the decades to recall the great blessings, and it is also a time to recall things we said and did that were out of place. We all need mercy.

“We all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Sinful deeds are not pleasant to recall, but realizing that we have erred makes us look to God for help. His obedient servants are forgiven. Think of our own bodies, nature about us, and the evidence in the Bible and have strong faith. It then should be a natural thing to turn to the Lord in repentance and baptism. We should confess and praise his name again and again. There is no reason to be ashamed of him. He doeth all things well. We seldom hear the name of Jesus mentioned on television and in a typical conversation. Why?

We have not been across the river of death to the new world, but our Lord and his Spirit-guided apostles have told us enough to know that it is a wonderful place to be. Life there will be a gift of God just as this life is a gift from him.

“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak not guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it” (1 Pet. 3:10). Being a servant of the Lord means much more than being baptized. We are raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). Hope is an anchor to the soul. Let us give thanks for the one hope.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 4, pp. 97, 119
February 18, 1988